


Live For Me

by icarizu



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, ben getting really mad at klaus, ben hargreeves deserves all the hugs, honestly its just me self supporting my fave bros, platonic fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 23:11:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18108440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icarizu/pseuds/icarizu
Summary: “Look, Klaus, if you can’t do it for yourself, at least live for me. For Dave. For everyone you loved that you lost. Dave would have wanted that.”Klaus never thought about it from Ben's perspective.





	Live For Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, this is my very first published fanfic, so you could just guess how nervous I really am about posting this,,,anyway, I hope you like it! I love these two characters way too much and feel inclined to write something about them!

“What if I just disappeared?”    
  
Ben turned away from his book to glance up at the direction of the voice. It was Klaus.    
“I could just, go, you know. Maybe follow in Five’s footsteps and just go away for several years.” Klaus laughed halfheartedly, a glass of scotch in hand.    
Ben turned his chin up towards the other, reaching down to close the book resting on the glass table, but pulling away at the last second. He couldn’t touch anything material, anyway. The soul turned towards Klaus.    
  
“What are you thinking?” Ben asks, an eyebrow raised, arms crossed across his chest.    
“Shh, shh. Shut up, I’m plotting.” Klaus raised a finger to his lips, swirling the liquid filled glass around, so much so that tiny droplets of the fluid inside fell onto the carpeted floor.    
“That’s never a good sign.” Ben interjected, all of a sudden behind Klaus, wanting to reach for the glass and to put it away, but ultimately knowing that it would have no effect.    
  
Klaus turned around in the wheeled chair, leaning against the counter behind him. “Dummy. But really, think about it. I could just...disappear. I doubt anybody would notice.” He mused, taking a swig from the alcohol in his hands. Ben gave him a scolding look, icy daggers glaring at Klaus from a few feet away. “You can’t do that,” Ben says, concern evident in his voice, but Klaus dismissed his words, seemingly not hearing Ben’s protests. This was bad.    
  
“What would you feel...if I joined you there?” Klaus asks, hooded eyes staring down at his calloused hands. If Ben could still feel his heart, he was pretty sure it would have stopped for a moment. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not allowed to. I’m not letting you.” He exclaims, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Don’t you dare,” Ben huffs out, too afraid to approach Klaus, in fear that his actions may lead to something else.    
  
Klaus rolled his eyes. “Why are you so keen on stopping me? I mean — we’ll finally be together! I get to see the one person I love more than myself,” He paused, a finger held up. “I mean Dave, and I don’t have to deal with the voices in my head anymore!” Klaus protests, acting as if the points he’d made are not up for debate, but Ben disagreed. Number Six shook his head, finally approaching Klaus.    
  
“No. You don’t  _ get _ to do that to yourself, Klaus.” He stated. Klaus opened his mouth, ready to clap back, but Ben spoke yet again.    
  
“It’s not fulfilling to be in the afterlife. You feel lost and scared and you feel like you’ve wasted your whole life doing nothing. You can’t feel, can’t speak, and nobody else can hear you when you ask for help. It’s dark and each time you try to get to the light you just drop down and start over. But that’s  _ nothing _ , Klaus. That’s  _ nothing _ compared to watching the one brother you love with all of your damn heart throwing and ruining his whole life away and you can’t do  _ anything _ but watch!” Ben argued, his voice rising almost to a yell, and before he knew it, his voice broke.    
  
“I just — you have your whole life ahead of you. I don’t want you to join me here if it means you don’t get to live out the rest of your existence. You - You can’t just take these things for granted, Klaus. When it’s gone, you just feel like an empty, useless husk who can’t even help your family when they’re in deep shit.”    
  
Ben inhaled. He glanced away, before he turned back to Klaus.    
  
“Look, Klaus, if you can’t do it for yourself, at least live for me. For Dave. For everyone you loved that you lost. Dave would have wanted that.”    
He finished his thought, returning to his old spot on the couch, slumping down, hands stuffed in his pockets and the hood of his jacket concealing his face.    
  
  
Klaus was taken aback. He never thought of it from Ben’s perspective. You know, an actual person he knew whose life was taken too soon.    
For a moment, Number Four was speechless, only blankly staring at the liquid in his hands.    
  
And then he heard sniffling.    
  
“Hey, Ben. Are - Are you  _ crying _ , Ben?” Klaus asks, voice laced with concern. Ben barely even moved, only turning away from Klaus, obviously refusing to answer the question laid out in front of him. Klaus stepped away from the counter, placing the glass of alcohol down as he slowly walked toward the spirit. Ben shook his head, sniffling once more as he furiously wiped at his eyes.    
  
“I-It’s okay, you know, I won’t bring it up again. It’s my fault, god, I’m sorry, just please don’t cry,” Klaus began, but was interrupted by Ben facing him, with tears in his eyes. Klaus didn’t even think it was possible for a ghost to cry. But apparently it was, seeing as Ben is doing so right now.    
  
“You’re a colossal wimp, Klaus, I hope you know that. But also, you’re my brother and I love you and I don’t want to watch you sit here and...do these things to yourself! And I—“    
  
Ben stopped.    
  
Klaus had his arms wrapped around Ben.    
  
Except...Klaus didn’t pass through. Klaus could hug him. Klaus could actually touch him.    
  
And that’s when Ben genuinely broke down.    
Slowly, Ben, too, returned the gesture, wrapping his own arms around his brother.    
Klaus didn’t think he’d get this far, to be perfectly honest. He didn’t think he’d get strong enough to actually be able to hug Ben. It’s been so long since he last hugged anybody at all.    
  
Ben let out a shaky sigh, before the emotions he’s been suppressing all this time began pouring out. He started sobbing into Klaus’s shoulder, strangled breathing filling the entire room.    
  
“Hey, it’s okay! I won’t ever bring up dying again, but...can I just say? You still feel warm. Like, ridiculously warm. It‘s nice.” Klaus whispered between the hug, making Ben let go and take a good look at the other for some time.    
  
Ben sniffed, wiping away the residual tears in his eyes.    
  


“Dumbass.” He chuckled lightly, bumping Klaus on the shoulder with his fist. 

Klaus faced his brother with a smile, playfully blowing a small kiss to the other.    
  
_ “Said with love.” _


End file.
